Oct 15th 2008 12:45PM by Matt Snyder (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Bengals, Chargers, Cowboys, Jets, Lions, Patriots, Vikings, AFC East, AFC North, AFC West, NFC East, NFC North, NFC West, NFL Referees
This already spiraled away from my original intent, in only three weeks. The reason I started writing this weekly feature was to attempt to educate the public as to the intricacies of officiating, even though I’m far less qualified to do so than an NFL official. Instead, in just three installments, the column had digressed into yet another forum for bashing the officials. That stops this week.

You know why? It’s really, freaking hard to officiate football at any level. About 99% of the fans don’t know this, because they’ve never given it a shot. It’s okay to bash them because you’ll never be in that position. I understand that we second guess and bash coaches and players, too, but there’s a big difference here. You can officiate. There’s a major shortage of officials, and many places are desperate for new ones. I suggest that instead of being part of the problem — whining and screaming about how much the “refs suck” — become part of the solution. Put your money where your mouth is and start working games. You’ll find, as I did eight years ago, it’s much more difficult than it looks.Continue Reading